


Children of Freedom

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Children of Freedom Verse [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Baby Ben Solo, Baby Poe Dameron, Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Growing Up Together, Kylo Ren Backstory, M/M, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, filling in gaps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:34:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26048851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Every story has a beginning, and before they were Kylo Ren and General Dameron, they were Ben and Poe, children of the Rebellion.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren
Series: Children of Freedom Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890940
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10
Collections: Darkpilot Creator Breakdown





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: God, I hope I actually finish this this time...

It was when Poe Dameron was three that he learned that Mama and Papa’s friends, Han and Leia, had a baby. 

Even as little Poe tagged along in his parents’ wake, he chattered eagerly. “Will he be fun? What does he look like?”

Shara smiled down at him indulgently just then. “He’s a baby, Poe,” she said. “He looks...well, like any baby. And yes, babies can be fun in their own right.”

Poe nodded then, eagerly, even as he followed his parents into the kitchen. Han and Leia were there, Leia holding a small bundle to her chest that seemed to be sleeping. 

”I just changed his diapers,” Leia said to Shara. She was smiling, even if it was a tired smile. “He’s an adorable little boy, but he can be a challenge, I know that much...”

Shara laughed. “I can imagine.” Then, “Do you want to introduce Poe to your son?”

Leia smiled. “This is Ben.”

She gently, tentatively handed Poe the baby. Poe held the bundle, struck by how small the baby really was. Pale skin, a mop of black hair. Poe looked up at Leia, confused. “Is he supposed to have black hair?” Neither Han nor Leia had black hair. 

Han squatted down beside Poe. “My mommy had black hair,” he said. “You could say Ben inherited it.”

”Oh. Okay!”

Ben opened his eyes just then, blinking as he looked up at Poe. Poe was struck by his eyes — how old they looked. Ancient. Were babies supposed to have such ancient eyes? 

Ben wasn’t crying, though. If anything, he seemed curious. Evaluating, at least for a baby. And aside from poking Poe’s nose, the baby was gentle with Poe. 

Poe didn’t mind. After all, it was like a lothcat scratching when it didn’t know better. It wasn’t trying to hurt you, according to Mama. It just didn’t understand. 

***

Poe came over when he could, as did Kes and Shara, and even when they couldn’t, Leia and Han sent updates. Poe liked Ben, even if some of the droids were weird — like that one droid who made caf a lot. Leia had to gently remind him that caf wasn’t appropriate for small children. 

Ben learned how to talk. Saying “Mama” and “Dada”, and “Puh” (Poe had to correct him in saying that), among others. He was smart too. Poe made sure to tell him that, and when he learned to take his first steps, Poe hugged him. 

It was a feeling a three year old couldn’t really describe, this desire to protect and defend. Poe always had that tendency, that desire to protect creatures littler than him, and Ben was just one of many examples. 

But Ben seemed to like him too. Ben’s eyes got darker in color, brown like Leia’s, and he got a little taller. Poe got taller too, and entered school. 

”It’s fun!” Poe said to Ben once, when the child was two. “You learn new things. You learn how to read, how to write...it’s like what your Mama and Papa teach you, but more...” He wrinkled his nose as he tried to think of the right word; grown-ups were weird sometimes, with their big words Poe couldn’t understand but always made him feel good when he knew them. “More structured. Yeah! That’s the word.” Poe beamed; at five years old, he was proud of knowing that word. 

”I go?” Ben said. 

”When you’re old enough.”

Ben sulked. “Wanna go now!”

Poe smiled. “Don’t worry; you will. Wanna learn how to write your name?”

Even watching Ben write his name in sloppy handwriting, Poe beamed at him. “Wow!” he said. “You learn fast!”

Ben’s little giggle was worth hearing. It let Poe know he’d made him happy.

***

As far as Poe knew, Ben Solo was his best friend. True, he was only a baby, small and fragile-looking, but he was fun. He could have his tantrums, but he was generally sweet, rescuing blue butterflies and looking up to his Papa and Poe. Besides, Mama said, kids had their tantrums. It’s not that they were trying to cause trouble; they just didn’t understand. 

”I’ll look out for you, okay?” Poe said to Ben once. 

Ben grinned at him. “A’ways.”

Poe knew that too. 


	2. Off To School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben starts school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Sorry it took so long!

Poe was already in school, but Ben started when he was four years old. Old enough, basically, for pre-K. Even heading off to his elementary school, Poe hoped that Ben would be all right. After all, Ben was so little. So was Poe, of course, but that was different. It was like he had to protect Ben. The bigger kids were supposed to protect the smaller ones, after all. It was just how it worked. 

Even as Ben was dropped off at the school that Leia had picked out, a small school that was just across from Poe’s (she thought it would make Ben feel more at ease knowing Poe wasn’t far from him), Poe didn’t miss the lost, almost kath hound puppy-like look in his eyes, like he was wondering if it was too late to stall this process, if not stop it. 

”You’ll do amazing, little bandit," Han said, squatting in front of him. “Really, you will. The school won’t know what hit them.”

Ben grinned, a bit uneasily for a four-year-old. “You really think so, Daddy?”

” ‘Course I do, kid. ‘Cause you are amazing, already.”

Leia reassured Ben too. “We won’t be far from you,” she said. “I promise.”

”Hey.” Poe walked over to Ben. “People’ll like you. They’d have to be stupid not to like you.”

”Really?”

” ‘Cause I like you, Ben." Poe smiled as he said it. 

Ben grinned, genuinely this time, and Poe could be reassured that he helped Ben, at least in that moment. 

***

Poe wasn’t going to lie; he was scared. Scared enough to not focus well on his cursive, which he was learning now that he was seven years old. And after school, Ben met up with him — seeming a bit nervous. 

”You okay?” Poe said. 

Ben nodded. “It’s just weird,” he said. “I feel like they’re...judging me because of who my mommy is.”

”Why would they do that?” Poe said. “That’s just dumb.”

"I dunno.” Ben shrugged. “They just...expect something.”

”Well, they’re dumb,” Poe said. “And if they start making fun of you, I’ll defend you.”

Ben giggled. It was good, drawing that reaction out of him. 

Poe smiled. “It’s ‘cause we’re friends,” he said. “Friends stick up for each other.”

”Yeah,” Ben said. “They do.”


End file.
